Movie Review: The Destroyer of Worlds

Universal PIctures

4.5/5 stars

For many years now it has been agreed upon, by detractors and fans alike, that while Christopher Nolan's films are technical marvels, they tend to lack warmth and humanity. With the exception of Interstellar, the characters in his films don't have very rich emotional lives outside of the basic necessities of the plot. That makes it doubly miraculous that his newest film Oppenheimer, while still maintaining his technical mastery, also displays a deep emotional maturity resulting in not only Nolan's best film since Memento, but an interesting new path for a talented filmmaker.

This is the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), the physicist chosen by the U.S. military to lead the project designed to beat Nazi Germany in the development of an atomic bomb. The result, he hopes will bring humanity into a new era of peace but he fears it may actually sow the seeds of the world's destruction.

The story is told out of order, alternating from the Manhattan Project to years later when Oppenheimer's association with the Communist Party brings heavy scrutiny from the government. Like all of Nolan's films, this is full of plenty of mind-blowing technical brilliance (how the Trinity Test was pulled off practically is astounding), but it is also a showcase for so many talented actors at the height of their abilities. It is a bit of a miracle that in the middle of a SAG-AFTRA strike, studios can witness firsthand such a performance-heavy film becoming so successful. In many ways, this is Nolan's most mature film and at long last a film that leaves much for the brain to chew on while still keeping its heart.

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan // Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Benny Safdie, Michael Angarano, Josh Hartnett, Rami Malek, Alden Ehrenreich, Matthew Modine, Alex Wolff, Casey Affleck, Tom Conti, and Kenneth Branagh // Universal Pictures // 181 minutes // Rated R